


under the influence

by zombeesknees



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: F/M, Sex Pollen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-22
Updated: 2018-12-22
Packaged: 2019-09-24 14:18:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,490
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17102192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zombeesknees/pseuds/zombeesknees
Summary: Dr. McCoy finds himself acting rather strangely around Nurse  Chapel. | Written many moons ago on LJ.





	under the influence

“They’re all exhibiting the same symptoms, doctor,” she said. “The entire landing party. It seems obvious to me that it was an environmental contaminant.”

“Yes, but the scans of the area showed nothing toxic,” he grumbled, running a hand through his dark hair. “And _I_ was in the landing party, Nurse Chapel. I don’t see how I could possibly be the only member unaffected, particularly if this was an airborne antigen.”

“Perhaps there were differing levels of exposure? We should take individual immunities into consideration, and general health and physique—”

“What are the initial symptoms?”

“Irritability. Inability to focus. Shortness of breath—”

“Half the people on this ship are perpetually irritable. The entire engineering staff has been diagnosed with ADHD. And considering how often we have to run about like chickens with their heads lopped off, it’s no wonder if everyone’s breathless.”

“But then comes a dizzying period of euphoria and a heightened libido,” Chapel went on smoothly, ignoring his sarcastic interruptions with her usual calm aplomb. The other nurses may find Dr. McCoy off-putting, but she found it endearing how brusque he always was. He was all bluster and very little cruel intent, and she knew most of his frustration came from the fact that the rest of the medical staff had to struggle to keep up with him half the time. 

“Great. Let’s get Kirk up here, before he passes out in some female ensign’s bunk. If any more symptoms develop along those lines, it’ll be nigh impossible to weed the afflicted out—so far, the only person on this ship that doesn’t fall into those criteria is Mr. Spock.”

“Doctor, you look rather flushed,” she said. “Perhaps you’d better sit down and let me look you over.”

“Chapel, I’m fine. And it looks like I’ve got an entire bay full of… Idiots… Do you hear music?”

“Music?”

“Yeah, sort of… twangy. Sounds like… a banjo. Reminds me of my Uncle Boone. Used to play one every night on the porch…”

“Ah, I see,” Chapel said thoughtfully, taking his arm in a firm grip and steering him over to a cot. “I don’t think I mentioned the hallucinations, did I?”

“Very careless of you, Chapel,” he said slowly, as if trying to remember the shape of the words. “A good nurse is always… thorough with her… de-briefing… That’s sort of a funny term, ain’t it? De-briefing. Makes me think of—”

“I’ve got a good idea what it makes you think of, Dr. McCoy,” she said with a smile. “Now why don’t you just lay back and relax while I get the hypospray to help that fever?”

“Don’t need any hypospray!” he said angrily, lurching upright only to sway backwards with a groan. “Light spots everywhere…”

“Don’t worry, doctor—I’m almost 100% sure that whatever this is isn’t fatal,” Chapel said in her most soothing voice. “In fact, it may be a very short-term reaction. It looks like Ensign Williams is already starting to perk up.”

“Perk. You’re sort of perky. D’you know that, Chapel? Very bright and…”

“Oh, I wish you weren’t currently under the influence of something,” she murmured to herself as she gave him a general dose of fever reducer. “There, just relax for a few minutes, doctor. I’ve got this well in hand.”

“You’ve got lovely hands,” he said, a slap-happy grin creeping across his face. “Always thought so. And I like the way you move.”

“And there’s the euphoria stage,” she noted dryly. 

“Oh, but I really do! Some of the other nurses just bustle about like mother hens, but you—you’re always so efficient and steady. Dependable. You’re the best nurse I’ve ever worked with, Chapel.”

“Damn it,” she said, shaking her head. “Why can’t you be this nice all the time?”

“I’m not nice to you?” he said, brow furrowing with concern.

“Not as much. Yelling constantly doesn’t usually equate with nice.”

“My arms feel weird,” he grumbled, raising his hands and looking at them intently. 

“Oh, Captain Kirk is going to be furious he missed this,” she said with a grin. “Be good and just sit here until I say otherwise, alright? I need to go check on the other patients—”

“Don’t go!” he said, grabbing for her arm and catching her hand instead. “Not when you’re so… shiny. And soft. Ooh, your hands are soft.”

“Doctor McCoy, please let go of me,” she said in her best professional nurse tone. “I really don’t want to tranq you.”

“Your eyes are the bluest blue I’ve ever _seen_ ,” he said, pulling her closer. “And your handwriting is beautiful, did you know? I love reading your charts and reports, because it’s so beautiful.”

“I’m guessing this is just the increased libido talking,” she replied. “And I can’t believe you’re hitting on me by talking about my _handwriting_.”

“Everything about you is beautiful, though,” he said earnestly, eyes glazed. “Sometimes I just stare at your lips. I feel bad about it, because I should be thinking more about the patients instead of how much I’d like to kiss you, but I’m still a man, right? And your lips are hypnotizing…”

She was inches from him now, her hand still in his, and she could almost count his eyelashes. He had _such_ nice eyelashes... The consummate nurse in her was screaming at her to stop, that he was not only her _doctor_ but a patient now as well; that he wasn’t fully in control of himself at the moment, that it was the allergic reaction talking and he’d _never_ say such things otherwise; and that given the situation, she could very well infect herself with whatever was causing all of this trouble. 

But she was no little hypnotized herself, and he was looking at her so hungrily, and sometimes a girl has to follow her impulses…

His lips were warmer than she had imagined, and his skin smelled like pine, and when his hand slid up her arm she didn’t try to stop the shiver. 

“Nurse Chapel?”

She lurched up onto her feet, breaking away with a strangled gasp. “Yes, Captain?”

“Mind explaining what’s going on here?”

She turned, her cheeks the color of beetroot, to glance awkwardly from Kirk’s bemused smirk to Spock’s blank face. “Seems to have been some sort of allergic reaction to something on the planet’s surface, Captain. Very short-term effects, thankfully. As you can see, Ensign Williams and Sergeant Phelps are both on their feet again.”

“And what about our good doctor here? Still reeling, I see?”

“Yes, sir. The symptoms were later onset in the case of Dr. McCoy.”

“What exactly are the symptoms, Nurse Chapel?” Spock asked.

“Low-grade fever, inability to focus, hallucinations, increased libido…”

“Ah. Yes. Perhaps they came in contact with a Virillium bush,” Spock suggested. “They are quite common in planets of this sector, transplanted from settlement to settlement by migrating colonists. Often used in marriage ceremonies and fertility rituals, if my memory serves correctly.”

“What treatment would you recommend, Mr. Spock?” Chapel asked quickly, nearly recovered from her embarrassment.

“There isn’t one. It simply must run its course. The effects should not last long, as you previously indicated. I am sure that Dr. McCoy will be restored to his usual, charming self within the hour.”

“But perhaps you could try some sexual heal—”

“Jim, that’ll be enough out of you,” a deep voice grumbled behind Chapel. She looked down to find McCoy sitting up and rubbing at his temples with a scowl. “I’ve only got one question. Just how much of an ass was I?”

“You were actually much nicer than usual, doctor,” Chapel said as coolly as she could. “You were fairly singing my praises.”

Kirk snorted with laughter and opened his mouth to drop yet another innuendo, only to be forestalled by Spock’s blank stare. 

“Perhaps we should send another party down,” Spock suggested after a pause that was awkward for everyone but him. “In protective gear, of course. It would be interesting to study the Virillium plant for possible medicinal purposes on board.”

“Yeah, it seems some guys need a little extra to finally make a move,” Kirk quipped with a wink. “Glad to see you’ve got things under control here, Chapel. Bones. Now, Spock, we should go and see how Scotty’s doing…”

The two left, the doors swishing softly behind them.

“Nurse Chapel, I apologize for—”

“No apologies necessary, doctor,” she cut him off sharply. “It was just something that had to be worked out of your system.”

She hurried across the room to another bed, and he found himself staring at her. The way her hips rolled with each step... Things still felt very odd and blurry around the edges, and he wasn’t about to attempt standing while his head still swam like this. 

But through the haze, he had the feeling that maybe it hadn’t been _entirely_ worked out of his system. 

Not by a long shot, actually.


End file.
